West Ham United right-back Vladimir Coufal has sustained an injury while on international duty for the Czech Republic, according to a report from Fotbal.cz.
He did not play in the Czech Republic’s 1-1 draw against Hungary – instead, he was left out of their squad as a precaution.
While the injury could prevent Coufal from playing in the Irons’ next game, its severity has been described as ‘small’ – therefore, it is unlikely that he will be unavailable for a significant period of time.
Despite this, West Ham will need to find a potential replacement for the 31-year-old before their upcoming fixture at the weekend, where they will take on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Who will replace Vladimir Coufal in the team?
In the absence of Coufal, it is likely that academy graduate Ben Johnson will take his place in the starting eleven. It’s a natural fit – Johnson already has 55 senior team appearances for the Hammers under his belt in this role, scoring two goals along the way.
While Johnson is the only other natural right-back in the squad, he isn’t the only option that David Moyes has in that position. While Emerson is a left-back by trade, he is more than capable of deputising on the right hand side of defence.
Of course, a defensive injury is never ideal, especially with such a difficult game on the horizon – whoever takes Coufal’s position will have an enormous task on their hands, as they look to contain the likes of Jack Grealish and Phil Foden.
What other injury concerns do West Ham have?
Currently, besides Coufal, the Hammers have a clean bill of health within their squad. Recently, James Ward-Prowse was on the treatment table after he suffered a knock.
Nevertheless, he should be available for selection when the Irons return to action against Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, September 16. He did, however, miss out on the latest England squad during their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
Ward-Prowse’s availability will be determined ahead of the weekend, but it seems unlikely that he will be ruled out of action for a lengthy amount of time.